Tony Dungy Nixed Vick-to-Raiders

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Michael Vick makes his post-prison Bay Area debut Sunday, when the Raiders host the Philadelphia Eagles at the Oakland Coliseum. Vick might have even have ended up playing for the Raiders, if not for some advice from his mentor and spiritual adviser, former NFLcoach Tony Dungy.

After a reel of lowlights from Sunday's 44-7 Raiders loss, the NBC Football Night in America roundtable took aim at the state of the Raider organization. "I advised Michael Vick not to go there," Dungy said on the broadcast. "I said, 'Mike, you might be able to start there but that is not a good place for you."

Cheerleaders of the NFL

Raiders fans, it's bad enough that the referees have it out for your team. But now the prison ministers, too?

To be fair, there's never been any proof that the Raiders were really considering bringing Vick in. There were only rumors they were considering it, plus strong Las Vegas odds that Vick would end up with Oakland.

Vick ended up signing with the Philadelphia Eagles on Aug. 14, just 10 days after Raiders coaches had a dogfight amongt themselves in the alleged Tom Cable assault incident.

Joe Kukura is a freelance writer who is having second thoughts about that tax-deductible charitable donation to Tony Dungy Prison Ministries.